Pups Fight Drug Addiction
by Elias Vincent
Summary: Mayabella's cousin James comes to stay in Adventure Bay due to concerns from his parents about disturbing & erratic behavior he's been displaying. Things take a dark turn when it's discovered James is addicted to a dangerous drug called Cocerojuana. How will everyone react to the truth & will James break his addiction?
1. Chapter 1

**PUPS FIGHT DRUG ADDICTION**

 **I DON'T OWN PAW PATROL ONLY MY OC'S**

It was a bright, sunny & warm Monday afternoon. School had just let out for the day & everyone was going about their usual business. Mayabella went straight to Adventure Bay Airport from school. The reason she was going there was because her 15 year old cousin James was due to arrive in Adventure Bay that afternoon. A short time ago James' parents had arranged for him to stay in Adventure Bay with Mayabella because they were concerned for his physical & psychological well being. All Mayabella knew was that for the last few months James' behavior had started becoming increasingly disturbing & erratic & nobody knew what was causing it. His parents felt that letting him stay with Mayabella for a while would help him get back on track. As soon as Mayabella arrived at Adventure Bay Airport she went over to the arrivals area to wait for James. She was feeling both excited & nervous about his visit because of the reason why he was coming to stay with her.

" _I really hope that James' stay here will help him get better. It's not like him to act erratically. I think the best thing I can do is be supportive & try to figure out what's causing him to behave like this. If all goes well he'll be back to normal in no time"_ thought Mayabella as she sat & waited for James. 15 minutes later a teenage boy with short blonde hair & brown eyes wearing a white short sleeve shirt, baggy blue pants & black sneakers appeared. He was carrying a suitcase full of clothes with him. Mayabella smiled when she saw him approach. The moment he caught her eyesight she got up & went over to him.

"Hello James. It's so nice to see you" said Mayabella as she gave James a hug.

"Thanks MB. So this is Adventure Bay is it? It looks like a nice place" said James as he looked outside with a smile.

"Trust me it is. Anyways let's get you back to my place so you can get settled in" said Mayabella as James & herself left the airport.

"I can't wait to meet all your friends. Can you introduce some of them to me after I get settled in?" asked James in a curious voice.

"Sure. They'll love meeting you" said Mayabella with a smile. Soon James & she arrived home. James was immediately impressed by how pristine Mayabella's house looked.

"Wow you have a really nice house here" said James as he smiled in amazement.

"Thanks. The inside is just as nice. See for yourself" said Mayabella as she let James & herself inside. James was pleased by what he saw. The house was clean & had a nice feel to it which was comforting for James. Scrap was waiting in the lounge for them. He smiled & wagged his tail excitedly when he saw James & Mayabella enter the lounge.

"Hello Mayabella. Is that James?" asked Scrap with an excited smile.

"It sure is" said Mayabella.

"Who's that?" asked James as he tilted his head in confusion.

"This is my pup Scrap. I took him in after his previous owner died. He used to live in the junkyard" said Mayabella.

"I like living with Mayabella a lot more. I actually feel more loved than when I was the junkyard pup" said Scrap with a cheerful smile.

"You're a very cute pup. What breed are you?" asked James as he petted Scrap.

"I'm an American Bulldog. It's nice to meet you James" said Scrap as he extended his paw.

"It's nice to meet you too Scrap" said James as he shook Scrap's paw.

"Anyways want me to show you where your room is James?" asked Mayabella.

"Yes please" said James as Mayabella took him to his room. The room James was staying in was mostly empty save for an inflatable mattress with pillows & bed covers on it.

"Want me to help you unpack?" asked Mayabella in a polite tone.

"No thanks. I didn't pack that much. I can sort it out" said James with a polite smile.

"OK. Once you're done I'll take you to meet some of my friends" said Mayabella as she left the room. James opened his suitcase & began hanging up his clothes in the closet. The clothes he'd brought with him included both short & long sleeved shirts, jumpers, jackets, shorts, long pants, socks, shoes & other bits & pieces. Aside from his clothes he'd also brought his phone, a picture of him with his parents, some books & board games. Eventually the only thing left in his suitcase was a zip lock bag filled with colored pills. The pills were not a prescribed medication. They were actually a deadly illicit drug known as Cocerojuana. It was a drug that combined cocaine, heroin & marijuana into 1 pill & it was infamous for causing extremely erratic behavior in anyone who took it. Nobody knew that it was the Cocerojuana that was causing James' behavior to spiral out of control. When James finished packing everything else he put the bag of Cocerojuana under 1 of the pillows to hide it.

" _I know that I got sent here because of my Cocerojuana addiction. I'm not stupid. If mum & dad think me staying here with Mayabella will break my addiction they're wrong. I need this stuff. They don't seem to understand that. I have to keep it hidden from everyone or they'll take it away from me. I'm not going to let them do that. If they try to deprive me of Cocerojuana I'll kill them"_ thought James as he finished settling in. He then left his room eager to meet Mayabella's friends.

"OK I'm all done. Let's go meet your friends" said James.

"Excellent. Follow me" said Mayabella as James, herself & Scrap left the house. They all proceeded to head to the Lookout where Angel, Elias & Kelly were hanging out with Ryder & the pups. When James saw them all playing together he became excited.

"They look like a great group of people & pups to hang out with" said James in an enthusiastic manner.

"They are. I can tell they're going to love you" said Mayabella as James, herself & Scrap walked over. When Elias, Kelly, Ryder & the pups saw them approach they smiled & waved.

"Hi Mayabella, hi Scrap. How are you?" asked Elias.

"We're good. This is my cousin James. He's going to be staying with me & Scrap for a while" said Mayabella.

"That's the child star Elias Vincent isn't it?" asked James with curiosity in his voice.

"That's me. Nice to meet you James" said Elias as he shook James' hand. James then shook hands/paws with the others.

"Where are you from James?" asked Kelly as she smiled curiously.

"I'm from Meadow Heights just like Mayabella. I live there with my parents" said James.

"Nice. How old are you?" asked Ryder.

"I'm 15. Your pups are really cute Ryder. You're lucky to have them all" said James with a warm smile.

"Thanks. I'm glad to have them too" said Ryder as he smiled.

"So what do you guys feel like doing this afternoon?" asked Chase as he smiled & wagged his tail.

"I don't know. I haven't given it much thought" said Marshall in an uncertain voice.

"We could always stay here & hang out. That'd be fun" said Rocky.

"I'd prefer going to the park. There's a lot more space there to run around in" said Rubble with an amused chuckle.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go" said Skye as she excitedly did a back flip.

"To the park we go" said Zuma as everyone headed to the park. James smiled the whole way there. The sight of town from the bridge was amazing. It was something James found fascinating.

"Wow we have a really good view of Adventure Bay from here. The ocean looks beautiful as well. I can tell I'm going to love it here" said James as he eagerly looked around.

"I'm sure you will. Everyone here will be excited to meet you" said Angel.

"I hope so. I bet you have lots of friends here Mayabella" said James with a curious smile.

"I sure do. The people who live here are all wonderful. You'll fit right in" said Mayabella in a confident tone.

"I'll take your word for it" said James as everyone arrived at the park. They all proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon playing together & having a great time. James never felt so happy before. Despite only being in town for a few hours he was already growing fond of Adventure Bay.

" _What a beautiful town Adventure Bay is. I'm excited to get to know everyone & check out everything there is to do here. Being away from Meadow Heights makes me feel like a bird that's been freed from a cage & allowed to fly anywhere. I look forward to staying here with Mayabella & Scrap"_ thought James as everyone continued playing together. Soon it was time to go home. Everyone went their separate ways & headed home to settle down for the evening. After James, Mayabella & Scrap got home Mayabella went straight into the kitchen to get a start on dinner. She decided to make some spaghetti Bolognese. After grabbing the pasta, meat & sauce she began cooking them. The enticing aroma of the food quickly filled the kitchen which made Mayabella more excited to eat. James & Scrap could smell the food cooking from the lounge & were also starting to feel hungry.

"That smells delicious. I can't wait to eat" said James with an excited smile.

"Me either. Mayabella's cooking up something tasty. It'll be love at 1ST bite" said Scrap as he licked his lips. Soon dinner was ready. Mayabella grabbed 3 bowls & forks before filling each bowl with spaghetti. She then went & placed 2 of the bowls on the table & the 3rd on the floor before calling to James & Scrap.

"Dinner's ready" said Mayabella.

"Coming" said James as he & Scrap entered the dining room. Upon seeing the spaghetti they smiled in delight.

"Yay we're having spaghetti. That's 1 of my favourite meals" said Scrap as he rubbed his stomach with his paw.

"Dig in guys" said Mayabella as James, herself & Scrap tucked into their meal. The pasta had a good texture that was complimented well with the tomato flavoring of the Bolognese sauce. James, Mayabella & Scrap happily gobbled down their food before rinsing out their dishware in the sink & putting them in the dishwasher. James then stretched & let out a yawn.

"I'm going to bed. It's been a long day & I feel tired" said James.

"OK. Goodnight James" said Mayabella as James went to his room. He changed into his pajamas before getting in bed. As he lay awake he thought about what it'd be like living in Adventure Bay.

" _Getting to live here will be awesome as long as nothing goes wrong. I have to keep my Cocerojuana stash hidden from everyone. If they find out it'll only cause major problems. The last thing I need is for everyone to start endlessly bugging me about my addiction. It's best they remain oblivious to it. Right now it seems nobody even suspects that I've got a stash hidden under my pillow. That's where it'll stay. No matter what happens I'm going to make sure my secret remains undiscovered"_ thought James as he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Delirious Euphoria

Tuesday morning started off normal in Adventure Bay. Everyone woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast & got ready for school/work. Mayabella & Scrap had both woken up feeling refreshed & ready to start a new day.

"Good morning Scrap. Did you sleep well last night?" asked Mayabella with a warm smile.

"I sure did. Did you get a good night's sleep?" asked Scrap in a curious voice.

"Yes. I hope James did too. Let's go make breakfast" said Mayabella as she & Scrap went into the kitchen. Mayabella filled Scrap's food & water bowls before going to make breakfast for James & her. She cooked some cinnamon buns with icing sugar sprinkled on the top. Once they were done she served herself a few & tucked in. The buns were incredibly tasty & offered a variety of flavors that came from the cinnamon & icing sugar on them. Mayabella happily ate breakfast before going to James' room. Once she arrived she knocked on the door.

"Are you up yet James? I've made breakfast" said Mayabella.

"What is it?" asked James as he sat up & yawned.

"Cinnamon rolls. They're waiting on the table" said Mayabella.

"I'll be out in a few minutes. I just need to get dressed" said James as he hopped out of bed.

"OK" said Mayabella as she returned to the kitchen. James changed into his regular attire before grabbing 3 Cocerojuana pills. He then quietly crept out of his room & into the bathroom where he put the Cocerojuana pills in his mouth & swallowed them with a mouthful of water.

" _I really hope Mayabella doesn't find out about my Cocerojuana stash. She'd get rid of it for sure. I need this stuff more than anything. No matter what the cost I must keep my stash safe at all times"_ thought James as he left the bathroom & went into the kitchen. He served himself some cinnamon buns & tucked into them. Just like Mayabella he loved the taste of them.

"These buns are beautiful Mayabella. You sure have a talent for cooking" said James with a smile.

"Thanks James. I'm glad you like them" said Mayabella with gratitude in her voice. James soon finished eating. After rinsing off his plate & putting it in the dishwasher he headed for the front door.

"I'm going for a walk. When do you leave for school?" asked James in an uncertain tone.

"I leave between 8:00 & 8:30. You'll be back by then right?" asked Mayabella.

"Yes. I'll be back soon. See you later" said James as he went outside. He then began walking down the street. It was still relatively early in the morning with most people still at home getting ready for the day. James walked along the sidewalk looking around at everything he could see. The houses looked quite pristine & well kept, the cars all had neat paint jobs, the road was smoothly paved & the greenery was lush & colorful. James smiled contently as he continued walking along.

"Mayabella wasn't kidding when she said this was a great place to live. I hope to stay here as long as possible. If I had the choice I'd never go back home. It's bad enough that my parents won't get off my back about my so called "bizarre" behavior. I don't need them constantly harassing me about it. The sooner they leave me alone the better" said James as he sighed in frustration. As he continued walking he suddenly spotted a naked woman with long blonde hair nearby. When the woman noticed James she smiled & walked over to him.

"Hello sir. I see you're enjoying a nice morning walk" said the woman with an excited giggle.

"I guess you could say that. Why are you naked?" asked James as he tilted his head in confusion.

"I've been liberated. The Emperor of Naturism has declared that from now on anyone is allowed to freely go out in public naked. You can start right now if you want" said the woman with a flirtatious wink. James smiled as he stared at the woman. She had a slender figure with glowing skin & deep blue eyes that made James feel euphoric. Within seconds he had taken off all his clothes leaving him completely nude.

"Wow this does feel liberating. I'm glad you told me about this" said James as he blew a kiss to the woman.

"The pleasure's all mine my darling. Spread the word. Everyone will be delighted to hear the good news" said the woman as she walked off.

"I will. Thanks for liberating me" said James as he ran around in the street feeling euphoric. In reality the woman didn't actually exist. She was nothing more than a hallucination caused by the Cocerojuana James had taken earlier. Despite this James still felt that the encounter was real. He laughed & smiled ecstatically as he ran around naked.

"I'M FREE. YOU CAN BE TOO. THE EMPEROR OF NATURISM HAS DECLARED PUBLIC NUDITY LEGAL. LIBERATE YOURSELVES" cried James as he continued running around. A short time later Elias' limo drove down the street towards James. When Pasquale saw James in the street he immediately slammed the brakes. The limo came to a halt centimeters from where James was standing. Angel, Elias, Kelly & Pasquale watched in confusion as James continued behaving strangely.

"What is James doing & why is he naked?" asked Angel as she tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't know. That's very strange" said Elias with concern in his voice.

"We better ask what's going on" said Kelly as Angel, Elias & herself hopped out of the limo & approached James.

"James what's going on? Why are you out in the middle of the street completely naked?" asked Angel in a confused voice.

"I've been liberated by the Emperor of Naturism. I met this beautiful woman who was also naked & she told me the good news. You guys can be free as well. The Emperor of Naturism has made it legal to be naked in public" said James in an ecstatic tone.

"I've never heard of anyone calling themselves the Emperor of Naturism. Does Mayabella know about this?" asked Elias.

"Not yet. Once she does she can help me spread the good news" said James with an ecstatic grin.

"Something seems off about this. Should we call Ryder & let him know about James' strange behavior?" asked Kelly in an uncertain manner.

"I'm on it" said Angel as she used her pup tag to call Ryder. Ryder was about to leave the Lookout for school when the call came through.

"Hello Angel. Is everything OK?" asked Ryder as he smiled professionally.

"I'm not sure. James is in the middle of the street completely naked. He's talking about how some guy called the Emperor of Naturism has apparently made it legal to be nude in public. I, Elias & Kelly have no idea what's going on. Can you & the pups come & help sort this out?" asked Angel.

"We'll be there soon. No job is too big & no pup is too small" said Ryder as he used the Pup Pad to call the pups.

"PAW Patrol to the Lookout" said Ryder in an enthusiastic voice.

"Ryder needs us" said the pups as they ran to the elevator. Along the way Marshall slipped on a sock that'd been left lying around causing yet another pileup in the elevator.

"Sorry. I guess today is laundry day" said Marshall with a sheepish smile. The pups laughed as the elevator rose to the observatory. Halfway up the pups put their pup packs & uniforms on before continuing. Once they reached the observatory the pups lined up in front of Ryder to await instruction.

"PAW Patrol ready for action Ryder sir" said Chase as he stomped his front paw down.

"Thanks for coming pups. Angel, Elias & Kelly were on their way to school when they encountered James standing naked in the middle of the street & talking about some Emperor who had made it legal to be naked in public. We have to sort out what's going on" said Ryder as he clicked Chase's icon.

"Chase I need you to keep unsuspecting passers-by away just in case the situation escalates" said Ryder.

"Chase is on the case" said Chase in a confident voice.

"Marshall I need you to check on James & make sure he's not hurt or sick" said Ryder.

"I'm fired up" said Marshall as he stepped forward.

"Alright PAW Patrol is on a roll" said Ryder as he pumped his fist in the air before running to the fireman pole & sliding down to the garage. Chase & Marshall zipped down the slide & deployed in their vehicles before they & Ryder headed out. A few minutes later they arrived at the scene. James was still naked & in a euphoric mood.

"Thanks for coming guys. We've got no idea what's up with James" said Elias as he shrugged his shoulders in uncertainty.

"We're also unsure of whether or not Mayabella even knows what's going on" said Kelly.

"We'll sort this out. Chase make sure nobody else gets too close" said Ryder.

"You got it Ryder" said Chase as he placed traffic cones around where James & the others were. He then got his megaphone out to address anyone who happened to be passing by.

"Proceed with caution. Emergency in progress" said Chase as cars & pedestrians went by making sure to stay clear of the coned off area. Marshall got his x ray screen out to scan James for any signs of illness or injury. To his surprise nothing came up.

"It doesn't look like James is hurt or sick. I can't explain why he's like this at all" said Marshall in a confused tone.

"Let's get him to the Lookout. The pups can watch over him to make sure he doesn't cause harm to himself or anyone else" said Ryder as Elias, Kelly & himself helped James into Marshall's ambulance. James was then taken back to the Lookout as Angel, Elias, Kelly & Ryder headed to school. Once Chase & Marshall returned to the Lookout they brought James inside & gave him a blanket to cover up in.

"You pups don't need to wear clothes. The Emperor of Naturism says that we're all free to show our whole bodies in public" said James in a euphoric manner.

"Come on James. I think you need some rest" said Chase as he & Marshall led James to the Lookout sick bay.

"Everything will be OK. You've got nothing to worry about" said Marshall as Chase & himself got James into the sick bay. They made him lie down on the bed before giving him sleeping pills hoping it'd help him calm down. They then left the sick bay to allow James to rest.

"What do you think is causing James to act like this? I can't explain it" said Chase with confusion in his voice.

"At the moment the only thing I can think of is insomnia. Hopefully after he gets some rest he'll be feeling better" said Marshall as Chase & himself joined the other pups.

"Did you figure out what's wrong with James?" asked Rocky with curiosity in his voice.

"Not really. We think he's suffering from insomnia. He's resting in the sick bay right now" said Chase.

"If that's the case why is he naked? That doesn't make any sense" said Rubble as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Maybe he sleeps in the nude. It's either that or he believes whatever this Emperor of Naturism guy he's talking about has been saying" said Marshall as he shrugged in uncertainty.

"I hope he feels better soon" said Skye in a concerned voice.

"I do too. For now let's watch TV" said Zuma as he & the other pups went to watch TV. Meanwhile at school the bell rang signalling the beginning of the school day. Mayabella had gone to her locker to grab her stuff. She wondered where James had gone seeing as she hadn't seen him since he went out for a walk earlier that morning.

" _I hope James is OK wherever he is. It's a bit unnerving knowing he could be anywhere in town doing who knows what. As long as he isn't getting himself in trouble I'm not too worried. Maybe he's back at home with Scrap. I suppose I'll find out later how he's doing"_ thought Mayabella as she got her stuff from her locker. Just as he shut her locker Angel, Elias & Kelly walked up to her.

"Good morning guys. How are you?" asked Mayabella with a warm smile.

"We're OK. I don't suppose you've heard about what James did earlier this morning do you?" asked Angel in an uncertain tone.

"No. What has he done?" asked Mayabella in a concerned manner.

"When we were heading here this morning we found him naked in the street. He was saying something about a guy called the Emperor of Naturism who apparently made public nudity legal. James appeared to be euphoric during this time. None of us have any idea why he's doing this" said Elias.

"That's very odd. When he left this morning to go for a walk he didn't mention anything like that & he was still fully clothed. Where is he now?" asked Mayabella in a nervous voice.

"He's at the Lookout being watched over by the PAW Patrol. Do you know if James has any history of mental illness or any other signs of psychological problems?" asked Kelly.

"I don't know. His parents sent him here because they were concerned about his behavior. They thought allowing him to stay with me would help get him back on track. Based on what you just told me there's more to this than what we currently know. What can we do to help?" asked Mayabella with a nervous gulp.

"I think right now the best thing we can do is be there for James & make sure he knows we're here for him when he needs us" said Angel in a reassuring tone.

"Whatever it is that's causing his erratic behavior we'll be sure to figure it out" said Elias in a confident manner.

"Anyways we better get to class. We don't want to be late" said Kelly.

"Let's go" said Mayabella as she & the others headed to class. The morning came & went as normal for everyone. Mayabella couldn't stop thinking about James & his odd behavior. She didn't know what to do.

" _If only there was a sign that indicated the cause of James' behavior. That'd make sorting this whole mess out a lot easier. Once the school day finishes I'm going straight to the Lookout to make sure he's OK. His health & safety is top priority"_ thought Mayabella as she tried to focus on her schoolwork. At the Lookout James had fallen asleep thanks to the sleeping pills he'd been given. Chase & Marshall came to check on him every 30 minutes to make sure nothing was wrong. To their relief every time they checked on James he was still asleep.

"I'm glad James appears to be sleeping well. Hopefully when he wakes up he'll be feeling much better" said Chase with a sigh of relief.

"He probably will. I'm not sure how long it'll be before he gets up but for now we can breathe easy knowing that he's getting some rest" said Marshall as Chase & himself returned to the other pups. They were all outside soaking up the sun.

"Is he up yet?" asked Rocky in a curious voice.

"Not yet. He's still fast asleep" said Chase.

"He might wake up shortly. I'd estimate 1-2 hours" said Rubble.

"I can't guarantee that. Mayabella must be worried sick" said Marshall with a sad sigh.

"No kidding. Scrap's probably at home completely unaware of the situation" said Skye with concern in her voice.

"I'm sure he'll find out sooner or later" said Chase as he sat next to Skye.

"For now let's bask in the warmth of the weather. It sure feels nice sitting out in the sun" said Zuma with a smile.

"Indeed. It's a perfect day to soak up some rays" said Marshall as he & the other pups sat together. The day continued as normal for almost everyone. Despite not knowing the cause of James' strange behavior earlier in the day everyone still held out hope that he'd be OK. James eventually woke up around lunchtime. He sat up in bed confused not knowing where he was.

"How did I get here? This isn't Mayabella's house. I must've blacked out again" said James as he stretched out. As soon as he got out of bed he realized he didn't have any clothes on.

"What happened to my clothes? I don't remember taking them off. Maybe someone can help" said James as he went looking around. He checked every room in the Lookout but nobody was there much to James' dismay.

"This isn't good. There's no way I'm going outside in my birthday suit. Looks like I'll just have to wait until someone comes by" said James as he grabbed a towel & wrapped it around himself. He then went into the kitchen to grab something to eat. After looking through the fridge & pantry he settled for a pizza pocket. The crust had a firm but soft texture with the cheese & tomato filling giving it a burst of flavour. Just as James finished eating the pups came inside.

"Hi pups. I don't suppose any of you know how I got here do you?" asked James in a curious voice.

"According to Angel, Elias & Kelly you were wandering in the street completely naked saying something about an Emperor of Naturism who declared public nudity legal. We brought you back here so that you could rest" said Chase.

"I don't remember that at all. The last thing I remember before waking up here was me walking down the street. Are you sure I really did that?" asked James in a shocked tone.

"Yes. Do you know why it happened?" asked Marshall.

"It must've been my insomnia. I didn't sleep very well last night" said James with a yawn.

"At least you're OK" said Rocky as he smiled.

"Do Mayabella & Scrap know about what happened?" asked James in an uncertain manner.

"Mayabella might but I'm not too sure about Scrap. As far as we know he's completely unaware of what happened" said Rubble.

"OK. Do you guys have any clothes I can put on? I don't want to walk around in my birthday suit" said James.

"I think it is best we look for the clothes you were wearing earlier. Where did you take them off?" asked Skye with curiosity in her voice.

"I think it was on the same street Mayabella's house is on. I'm not entirely sure though" said James as he shrugged.

"Stay here. We'll go find them" said Zuma as he & the other pups headed out to find James' clothes. Once they reached the street Mayabella lived on they looked around for any items of clothing that were lying around. It only took a few minutes for them to spot James' clothes lying on the sidewalk.

"Here they are" said Chase as he grabbed James' clothes in his mouth.

"Let's get these back to the Lookout" said Marshall as he & the other pups raced back to the Lookout. Upon arriving they handed James his clothes. He smiled in delight as he got dressed.

"Thanks pups. Now I don't have to worry about being seen in my birthday suit" said James in a thankful voice.

"You're welcome" said Rocky with a smile.

"Is there anything else we can do for you James?" asked Rubble in a curious tone.

"Not that I can think of. Shall we watch TV?" asked James.

"Good idea. There's bound to be something good on" said Skye in an excited manner.

"Let's have a look" said Zuma as he & the others went to see what was on TV. Back at school Mayabella couldn't stop thinking about James. She didn't understand why he'd been acting so strangely that morning.

" _I can't think of any reason why James would go around naked rambling on about some guy making a claim that public nudity is legal now. None of it makes any sense. Once I get home from school I'm going to ask James about what's going on. If I can't figure out the cause of his behavior there's no knowing what he'll do next"_ thought Mayabella as she got on with her schoolwork. By the time lunch came around she wasn't any closer to understanding James' state of mind.

"I wish I knew what to do about James. Do you guys have any suggestions?" asked Mayabella as she ate lunch with her friends.

"Maybe it is best you talk with him after school so that he can open up to you" said Ace as she tucked into her pasta salad.

"That's the best thing you can do. If you talk things over it'll help you guys come to an understanding & work out a solution to this" said Carlos as he gobbled down his flavored crackers.

"What if he doesn't want to talk? I don't know what to do then" said Mayabella as she sighed in uncertainty.

"Perhaps you can try monitoring him closely. That'd surely help you notice something unusual" said Danny as he gulped down his orange flavored Kool Aid.

"If you hid cameras around your house you'd be able to record everything he does that you don't see" said Elias as he devoured his dessert pizza single.

"If I did that it'd make him paranoid. This is harder than I thought" said Mayabella in an uncertain voice.

"Just remember we're all here for you when you need us" said Katie with reassurance in her voice.

"We'll all do anything we can to help out when needed" said Kelly as she smiled warmly.

"Thanks guys. You're the best" said Mayabella.

"Everything will be fine. 1 way or another James will recover from whatever it is that's causing his bizarre behavior" said Ryder as everyone continued eating lunch. Later that afternoon once school let out for the day Angel, Elias & Kelly headed to the Lookout as usual. Mayabella also headed to the Lookout having been told that James was there.

"I really hope James hasn't been giving the pups a hard time" said Mayabella with a nervous gulp.

"I doubt it. If he had they would've called Ryder & as far as I know that hasn't happened" said Angel in a reassuring tone.

"Even so I just can't shake the feeling that something horrible has happened" said Mayabella in a shaky manner.

"Don't think like that. Getting yourself worked up over something that probably didn't happen will only make you feel worse" said Elias.

"What do you guys think he's been doing most of the day? I can't put my finger on it" said Mayabella with an uncertain sigh.

"I'd imagine James is likely feeling better now & is in a good state of mind. I know that the pups have been taking good care of him" said Kelly as she smiled reassuringly.

"I guess you're right" said Mayabella as she & the others arrived at the Lookout. They went straight inside where they saw James watching TV with the pups.

"Hello James. Are you feeling better now?" asked Mayabella.

"I sure am. How was school?" asked James with a curious smile.

"It was the same as always. Anyways let's get you home" said Mayabella.

"OK. See you guys later" said James as he & Mayabella left.

"Bye guys. See you tomorrow" said Ryder as he waved to James & Mayabella. As James & Mayabella walked home James knew that Mayabella had likely been told about what had happened that morning.

" _I won't be surprised if Mayabella asks me about this morning the moment we get home. Even though I don't really remember what happened I'm not going to say anything about my stash of Cocerojuana. The less she knows the better"_ thought James as he & Mayabella continued walking. Soon they arrived home where Scrap was waiting for them.

"Hi guys. Where have you been James? You've been gone all day" said Scrap as he tilted his head in confusion.

"I don't really remember. Between going for a walk & waking up at the Lookout completely naked I have no idea what happened" said James with a shrug of uncertainty.

"Apparently you stripped naked in the middle of the street & rambled on about some guy named the Emperor of Naturism who had supposedly declared public nudity legal. Angel, Elias & Kelly found you in the middle of the street & called the PAW Patrol who took you back to the Lookout to rest" said Mayabella.

"I don't remember any of that. That's very odd" said James in a confused voice.

"Why did you do that anyways? Are you sure you're feeling OK?" asked Mayabella with concern in her voice.

"Yes. I think I was feeling a bit tired. That's probably what it was" said James.

"OK. If you need to talk about anything we're always ready to listen. Don't forget that" said Mayabella as she gave James a hug.

"I won't. I'm going to go take a nap. I feel kind of exhausted" said James as he stretched out & yawned.

"OK. I'll let you know when dinner's ready" said Mayabella as James headed to his room. He was glad that nobody suspected anything about the Cocerojuana he had hidden in his room.

" _It sure is easy keeping the truth hidden from everyone. I just need to play my addiction off as insomnia or other similar conditions. The longer I can keep it up the better. The way things are going right now I should be able to keep my Cocerojuana stash hidden away for a while. It's safe to say I'm in the clear right now"_ thought James as he entered his room. After shutting the door behind him he got in bed to take a nap. Mayabella & Scrap went into the lounge to watch TV.

"Hopefully today was a 1 off incident. If it's not then there's obviously something more to this than what we know" said Mayabella as she flicked through the channels looking for something to watch.

"I'm sure everything will be OK. Let's try & get our minds off it" said Scrap as an episode of Apollo the Super Pup appeared. Mayabella & Scrap sat together watching TV for a bit before they decided to make dinner. After Mayabella filled Scrap's food bowl she went into the kitchen & started cooking couscous with veal schnitzel. The delightful aroma stimulated Mayabella's senses filling her with anticipation to eat. Once she finished cooking she set the table & went to wake James up. Once she reached his room she knocked on the door.

"James dinner's ready" said Mayabella as James sat up & yawned before getting out of bed.

"OK" said James as he came out of his room & headed into the dining room. He & Mayabella sat at the table & tucked into their meal. The veal was juicy & succulent with a burst of flavour from the gravy drizzled on it & the couscous had a nice texture with a palate cleansing taste to it.

"You have magic hands when it comes to cooking Mayabella. This is delicious" said James as he gobbled down his dinner.

"I'm glad you like it James" said Mayabella as she finished eating. The dirty dishes were then rinsed off & put in the dishwasher. James, Mayabella & Scrap then went into the lounge to watch TV. A short time later they started feeling tired so they decided to head to bed. After bathing/showering James & Mayabella headed to their rooms & settled down for the night. As Mayabella lay awake in bed she thought about her hopes for James.

" _I can only hope that James' behavior doesn't get out of hand. If it's insomnia that's causing it a good amount of sleep should fix it. Today's events were crazy enough as they were. As long as James keeps himself physically & psychologically healthy he'll be fine. I'm sure by tomorrow he'll be feeling a lot better than today"_ thought Mayabella as she went to sleep unaware of the truth behind James' behavior.


	3. Chapter 3: Arachnophobic Paranoia

When Mayabella woke up on Wednesday morning she hoped that James' behavior would return to normal. Neither she nor anyone else knew the truth about James' Cocerojuana stash.

" _I'm sure James is feeling a lot better today. A good night's rest must've done some good. If all goes well there shouldn't be any incidents today"_ thought Mayabella as she got out of bed before getting dressed & going to make breakfast. She filled Scrap's food & water bowls before she started making bacon & eggs. The sizzle of the food was oddly satisfying as it cooked in the frying pan. It also gave off an inviting scent that made Mayabella's mouth water.

"Nothing beats bacon & eggs for breakfast. I bet James will enjoy this delicious breakfast treat" said Mayabella as she finished cooking. She then plated up the food & set it on the table before going to wake James up. Once she reached his room she knocked on the door.

"Are you up James? I made bacon & eggs for breakfast" said Mayabella.

"OK. I'll be out momentarily" said James as he yawned & stretched out. After he hoped out of bed & got dressed he retrieved 3 more Cocerojuana pills from his stash before sneaking into the bathroom & ingesting the pills with a mouthful of water.

" _Keeping my stash hidden is easier than I thought. I would've thought it'd be a lot harder than this. Either I'm good at hiding stuff or everyone else is completely oblivious. Either way it means that I'm in the clear"_ thought James as he left the bathroom & headed to the dining room. He smiled in delight when he saw the bacon & eggs set on the table.

"Yay we have bacon & eggs for breakfast. I bet they taste delicious" said James as he licked his lips.

"Bon appetit" said Mayabella as James & she tucked in. The bacon was juicy & succulent with a salty taste & the eggs were light & fluffy in texture. James & Mayabella happily ate breakfast before rinsing off their dirty dishware & putting them in the dishwasher.

"That was delicious. Good job Mayabella" said James as he gave Mayabella the thumbs up.

"Thanks. Anyways can you promise me something James?" asked Mayabella.

"What is it?" asked James in an uncertain voice.

"I want you to promise that you won't act strangely. After what happened yesterday I'd prefer that you keep your behavior under control" said Mayabella in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry I feel much better today. You've got nothing to worry about" said James with a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" asked Mayabella in a nervous manner.

"100%. Everything will be fine" said James.

"OK. I'm glad to hear that" said Mayabella as she gave James a hug. Soon it was time for her to go to school. After she grabbed her school bag she went to leave.

"See you guys after school" said Mayabella as she smiled & waved to James & Scrap.

"Have a good day Mayabella" said Scrap as Mayabella left for school. James & Scrap then went into the lounge to watch TV. James flicked through the channels looking for something to watch. After a few minutes he came across an episode of Apollo the Super Pup.

"I hear the pups love this show" said James with an amused chuckle.

"They sure do. It's really good" said Scrap as James & himself got cosy on the couch. Apollo was shown walking along when a cry of distress was heard.

"It sounds like someone's in trouble. Will Apollo be able to save the day his own way?" asked the narrator as Apollo ran into action. As usual Spider King was causing trouble & had wrapped a kitten in his web & left it dangling from a branch hanging over the river. When Apollo confronted him Spider King tried to trap Apollo with more webbing but Apollo flew in circles around Spider King to avoid being caught. Spider King's carelessness about where he was shooting his web eventually caused him to tangle himself leaving him stuck & unable to move. Apollo used his super breath to send Spider King flying away before saving the kitten & flying away with it on his back.

"Once again Apollo saves the day his own way" said the narrator as the episode ended. Scrap smiled enthusiastically at the outcome of the episode.

"Wow that's got to be the best Apollo episode yet. What do you think James?" asked Scrap with a curious smile.

"It was OK. I feel a bit hungry. I'm going to get something to eat" said James as he got up & went into the kitchen. When he opened the pantry he saw giant arachnid creatures standing on the shelves. James screamed in horror as he slammed the pantry door shut.

"Are you OK James?" asked Scrap as he walked over to see what was going on.

"There are massive spiders in the pantry. I have no idea how they got there" said James as he shook nervously.

"Are you sure? Let me see" said Scrap as he tilted his head in confusion.

"I don't think that's a good idea. They'd eat you alive" said James with a nervous gulp.

"Just open the door. I can handle this" said Scrap in a confident manner.

"OK fine. Don't say I didn't warn you" said James as he opened the pantry. When Scrap looked inside he didn't see any spiders on any of the pantry shelves. He was unaware that the spiders were yet another hallucination James was having as a result of the Cocerojuana pills he'd taken earlier that morning.

"James there's nothing in there. You must've been seeing things" said Scrap.

"They're right there. How can you not see them?" asked James as he pointed to where he saw the spiders. Scrap still didn't see anything.

"James it's all in your head. I'm telling you there's nothing there" said Scrap with confusion in his voice.

"I'm not imagining it. I know what I'm seeing" said James as he saw the spiders start to crawl out of the pantry. He slammed the door shut again before leaving the kitchen. He then started seeing more of them crawling out from other rooms in the house.

"They're everywhere. I'm out of here" said James as he ran out of the house.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" cried Scrap as he watched James run off.

"Anywhere that the spiders won't get me" said James as he continued running. Scrap tried to call Mayabella using his pup tag but it didn't work. Her phone was on silent.

"That's not good. How do I stop James from doing anything crazy? I'm so confused. I guess I better go after him to make sure he doesn't get hurt" said Scrap as he ran after James. Meanwhile Mayabella arrived at school completely unaware of what was going on. She was under the impression that James & Scrap would be fine & since her phone was on silent she didn't notice that Scrap was trying to call her.

" _I'm glad James feels better today. I'd assume he's at home with Scrap watching TV. I should be able to get through the school day without having to worry about anything"_ thought Mayabella as she went inside to grab what she needed for 1ST period from her locker. Just as she got what she needed Angel, Elias & Kelly walked by.

"Good morning Mayabella. How are you this morning?" asked Angel with a warm smile.

"I'm feeling good. How are you all doing?" asked Mayabella in a polite voice.

"We're all feeling great. How are James & Scrap?" asked Elias with a curious smile.

"James is feeling a lot better than he was yesterday which makes me feel better. He & Scrap are at home probably watching TV" said Mayabella.

"We're all glad to hear that. Anyways enjoy 1ST period" said Kelly as Angel, Elias & herself went to get what they needed from their lockers.

"See you guys later" said Mayabella as she smiled & waved. The bell then rang signalling the beginning of 1ST period. All the students grabbed their stuff from their lockers before heading off to class. Back in town James was still running around trying to avoid the giant spiders that seemed to be coming from everywhere. Fear & paranoia set in as he frantically tried to find a place to hide.

"This whole town is filled with giant spiders. I don't know where they're all coming from. I must find a safe place before they eat me alive" said James as he continued running amok through town. Scrap followed his scent trying to catch up to him. The spiders James saw were nonexistent to everyone else.

"James must've had a bad dream last night. That's the only possible explanation I can think of regarding these so called giant spiders he sees. I hope I can prevent him from doing harm to either himself or someone else" said Scrap as he continued tracking James down. He followed the scent trail all the way to the farm on which Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi lived. James was hiding in the barn thinking he'd be safe there. Scrap was understandably confused when he found James hiding behind a bunch of haystacks.

"We should be safe here. The spiders will never find us" said James as he tried to catch his breath.

"Stop acting so weird James. There aren't any spiders. You had a bad dream" said Scrap with a sigh of frustration.

"No I didn't. I'm not making anything up. I wouldn't be stupid enough to believe that I'm seeing things" said James.

"Are you seriously going to hide here until these so called spiders are gone? This is ridiculous. Sooner or later Mayabella will find out what's been going on" said Scrap in an annoyed tone.

"I doubt it. Until the spiders disappear I'm not going anywhere" said James in a stubborn manner. Scrap rolled his eyes. Trying to convince James that there weren't any giant spiders was proving to be easier said than done.

" _I really don't get how James can possibly see something that's not even there. I thought his behavior from yesterday was bizarre but this is on a whole new level. What am I going to tell Mayabella? She's not going to like this at all"_ thought Scrap as he thought about how to reason with James. Over the next few hours James & Scrap remained hidden behind the haystacks in the barn with neither of them budging either due to the fear & paranoia of the spider hallucinations or uncertainty as to how the situation can be resolved. Mayabella remained none the wiser as she got through her schoolwork still thinking nothing was wrong. At recess Mayabella played on the swings. She felt the wind against her body as she swung back & forth trying to go as high as possible. With each swing she got an overhead view of the school & surrounding area which amazed her.

"This is fun. I like being able to see the school from a higher viewpoint. The weather is beautiful & warm which is just how I like it. So far today has been fantastic" said Mayabella as she continued swinging back & forth taking in the view all the while. She didn't think about James at all during recess. When the bell for 3RD period rang she & the other students headed off to class as normal. Back at the farm James & Scrap were still behind the haystacks.

"What do you plan to do if we get found by Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi? They'll force us to leave for sure" said Scrap.

"They'd reconsider that option once they see the giant spiders" said James.

Scrap groaned in annoyance. No matter what he did or said James was refusing to listen. A short time later Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi entered the barn to sort out the hay.

"Where exactly are we going to put the hay honey?" asked Farmer Al with uncertainty in his voice.

"We'll leave it out near Bettina's pen. There's plenty of space for it there" said Farmer Yumi as Farmer Al & herself began moving the hay. James & Scrap knew that they'd be caught sooner or later if they didn't sneak out but they knew it'd be difficult to leave the farm without being seen.

"This isn't good. How do we get out without being seen?" asked James as he gulped nervously.

"I don't know. It was your idea to come in here" said Scrap as the hay was transported outside bit by bit. It wasn't until the last bits of hay were retrieved that Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi spotted James & Scrap.

"What are you 2 doing in here?" asked Farmer Al as he tilted his head in confusion.

"We're hiding from the giant spiders" said James.

"What giant spiders? I haven't seen any" said Farmer Yumi in a confused voice.

"It's all a figment of James' imagination. He seems to think there are giant spiders emerging all over town. I've tried reasoning with him but he's not listening" said Scrap with a frustrated sigh. James then saw giant spiders coming towards them.

"OH NO THERE THEY ARE" cried James as he pointed to where he saw the spiders. Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi both understandably felt confused since neither they nor Scrap could see anything.

"James there's nothing there" said Farmer Al with confusion in his voice.

"YES THERE IS. WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THEM" cried James in fear.

"How do we get rid of something that isn't even there in the 1ST place? I don't know what you want us to do" said Farmer Yumi as she shrugged her shoulders.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES" cried James as he ran off.

"JAMES WAIT" cried Scrap as he ran after James. Farmer Al & Farmer Yumi stood & watched in confusion at what was happening.

"That's quite possibly the strangest thing I've ever seen happen" said Farmer Al.

"I can say the same. Anyways let's finish up with the hay" said Farmer Yumi as Farmer Al & herself continued getting the hay out of the barn. James ran through town looking for another place to hide. He went just about everywhere he could think of including Adventure Beach, the ski resort in the mountains, the bay near town square & so on. Scrap gave chase the entire time. He knew it was only a matter of time before Mayabella found out the truth.

" _I don't know what I'm going to do to stop James from going too far. Mayabella's going to find out about this sooner or later. The problem is that I have no idea exactly where James plans to go. Every time he gets to a different part of town he ends up running away because he sees more giant spiders. This is getting really out of hand"_ thought Scrap as he continued chasing James through Adventure Bay. Back at school lunch had just started. All the students were in the cafeteria eating pasties, tater tots, fruit infused lemonade & French cheesecake. The pasties had a beef & vegetable filling which was encased in a flaky pastry crust that was a delight to eat, the tater tots were crispy & offered a burst of potato flavour, the fruit infused lemonade was brightly colored & sweet to drink & the French cheesecake had a light but mouth watering texture with a great heavenly taste to match. Everyone happily ate lunch while holding idle conversation.

"So Mayabella is James feeling better today?" asked Ace as she tucked into her pastie.

"He sure is. It's such a relief to know that he's not acting strangely" said Mayabella as she gobbled down her tater tots.

"I take it he's at home correct?" asked Carlos as he gulped down his fruit infused lemonade.

"Yes. If I had to guess he's probably watching TV with Scrap" said Mayabella.

"I must admit the way he acted yesterday was certainly something I've never seen before. Streaking naked through town is something I've never even considered which says a lot when you take into account how daring I usually am" said Danny as he finished off his French cheesecake.

"Please don't try it. It's not worth it" said Mayabella with concern in her voice.

"She's right. It'd only make you look like a fool" said Elias as he nodded in agreement.

"At least I can take it easy knowing that James' health & safety is in good condition" said Mayabella in an optimistic voice. As if on cue James burst into the cafeteria & ran over to Mayabella still thinking there were giant spiders after him.

"HELP ME MAYABELLA. THE GIANT SPIDERS ARE AFTER ME" cried James in a horrified tone.

"What giant spiders? I don't know what you're talking about James" said Mayabella as she tilted her head in confusion.

"THEY'RE OVER THERE. LOOK" cried James as he pointed towards the doors to the cafeteria. When everyone looked over at the doors they saw nothing.

"There's nothing there" said Katie in a confused manner.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? WHY IS IT THAT I'M THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN SEE THEM?" cried James as he shook nervously.

"Calm down James. Everything will be fine" said Kelly with reassurance in his voice.

"NO IT WON'T. THE SPIDERS ARE GOING TO EAT ME ALIVE" cried James as he began to sweat from panic. Scrap then arrived having tracked James' scent trail to school.

"I'm really sorry about this Mayabella. He's been seeing giant spiders everywhere since this morning. It started in the pantry at home & no matter where he's gone they still keep appearing to him. I think he must've had a nightmare last night about them which has manifested as some twisted daydream" said Scrap.

"What do we do? I have no idea how to deal with this" said Mayabella with a sigh.

"Perhaps it's best we get him to the nurse. She'd be able to sort this out" said Ryder as James continued to shake in panic. His breathing was extremely rapid, sweat dripped down his body & his heartbeat went speeding. Suddenly he fainted from shock much to everyone's horror.

"I better get him home. Something's seriously wrong here. See you guys later" said Mayabella as she pulled James up from the floor. With Scrap's help she carried James home. It was an exhausting walk because of the amount of weight that needed carrying but they managed to make it home using all their strength. Once they did they put James on the lounge room sofa & laid him down before grabbing a blanket & pillow for him. They both were uncertain as to whether the spiders James saw would disappear to him when we woke up.

"I hope when James wakes up he'll be back to normal. I really wasn't expecting this at all" said Mayabella with a sad sigh.

"Me either. The strangest thing is that over the last couple of days his behavior has changed in the blink of an eye without warning. There must be something we can do to get to the bottom of this" said Scrap as he tried to think of a solution.

"For now I say we wait until James comes to & once he does we'll be able to talk to him. That'll help us understand him better" said Mayabella.

"Good idea" said Scrap as Mayabella & he went to do whatever they felt like. Mayabella went to her room & lay on her bed to rest while Scrap played with a bouncy ball. As Mayabella lay on her bed she thought about the situation regarding James' behavior.

" _I just don't understand what's going on at all. The last 2 days James wakes up & at 1_ _ST_ _seems to be completely fine & then a couple of hours later he starts acting strangely. What could possibly be causing it? I hope it's nothing more than nightmares & scary daydreams of some sort. At the moment that's the only logical explanation. When James gets up later I'll be able to hear from him so that I'll be able to determine how to keep his behavior under control"_ thought Mayabella as she lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Without realizing it she stayed there for nearly 2 hours before getting up & leaving her room. Just as she entered the lounge she saw James starting to stir. Once James opened his eyes he sat up & noticed that he was on the living room couch.

"How did I get here?" asked James in a confused voice.

"I & Scrap brought you home. Apparently you ran around town in a panic thinking there were giant spiders after you. When you turned up at school you fainted from shock. Why are you acting this way James? It's rather alarming that you're going around town like that" said Mayabella in a concerned tone.

"Last night I had a nightmare that I was attacked & eaten alive by giant spiders & the night before I dreamt about a naked woman telling me that some emperor guy had declared public nudity legal. For some reason I just couldn't stop thinking about those dreams & they overwhelmed me to the point I started confusing them with real things. For a long time I've had trouble opening up about it because I thought if I did everyone would think I was a psycho & that I'd get put in a psychiatric hospital. I don't know what to do. I wish I could find a way to stop getting dreams & reality mixed up" said James as he began to tear up. Mayabella gave him a hug to make him feel better not realizing he was lying to her.

"It's OK James. Just remember I'm always here for you when you need me" said Mayabella in a reassuring manner.

"Thanks. Anyways shall we watch TV?" asked James with curiosity in his voice.

"OK. Let's see what's on" said Mayabella as she turned on the TV & flicked through the channels to find something to watch. James was amazed that Mayabella believed him. He thought for sure she'd see right through his lies.

" _I must be a very good liar. There's still nobody who knows the truth. Keeping up this charade is easier than taking candy from a baby. Everything should be smooth sailing from here"_ thought James as he, Mayabella & Scrap sat together watching TV. A short time later Mayabella went to get a start on dinner. She decided to cook chicken nuggets & potato wedges. It took only 30 minutes in the oven for them to be cooked. Once they were done she served them up before James & herself tucked in. The nuggets were juicy & succulent which made them a delight to eat & the wedges were seasoned well with salt to give it a good flavour. Once James & Mayabella finished eating they rinsed off their dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. James decided to go to bed since he was feeling tired. After entering his room he changed into his pajamas & got under the covers. As he lay awake he thought about how easy it was to deflect suspicion away from his stash of Cocerojuana.

" _I'm glad that nobody has discovered the truth about my stash. I intend to keep it that way. There's nothing I need more than my Cocerojuana fix. Based on how everything has played out so far it's safe to assume that I'm in the clear"_ thought James as he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: An Aggressive Discovery

James woke up on Thursday morning feeling irritable. It was 1 of the many side effects caused by the consumption of Cocerojuana.

"Damn it why do I feel so tired? I need to use the bathroom" said James as he got out of bed & went to relieve himself. Once he was done he returned to his room & grabbed some more Cocerojuana pills before heading to the bathroom where he consumed them with a mouthful of water.

" _I hope these pills will make me feel better. They're the only thing that can improve my mood. Anyways I better go make myself breakfast"_ thought James as he left the bathroom & headed into the kitchen. After raiding the fridge & pantry he fixed himself a bowl of cornflakes flavored with sugar giving it a sweeter taste than normal. Mayabella woke up, got dressed & entered the kitchen just as James rinsed off his dishes & put them in the dishwasher.

"Good morning James. Did you sleep well last night?" asked Mayabella with a smile.

"I guess. I just feel really miserable. I must've had a really bad nightmare last night that I can't remember" said James as he sighed.

"OK. Have you already had breakfast? If not I can make you some" said Mayabella in a polite voice.

"I had cornflakes. Don't worry about me. I'm fine" said James in a reassuring tone.

"Are you sure? After the last few days everyone's on edge regarding your behavior. You're not feeling unusual in any way are you?" asked Mayabella in a concerned manner.

"Everything's OK. Everyone's just being paranoid. I swear I'm fine" said James.

"OK if you say so. Just remember I'm always here for you when you need to talk to someone" said Mayabella as she smiled warmly.

"Thanks. I think I'll watch TV" said James as he went into the lounge & flicked through the channels. Mayabella made herself some sugar coated cereal for breakfast which she happily ate. She then filled up Scrap's food & water bowls before grabbing her school bag & heading out the door.

"See you later" said Mayabella as she left for school.

"Bye Mayabella. Have a good day at school" said James as he continued looking for something to watch on TV. After a few minutes he came across an anime cartoon called Hariko-Chan: Samurai in America. It was 1 of his favourite shows.

"Sweet Hariko-Chan is on. Let's see what he's up to in this episode" said James as he got comfortable on the sofa. Hariko-Chan was about the titular character as he journeyed to the US from Japan to take down a samurai crime syndicate known as the Shogun Street Slayers. They were a gang who committed murder against anyone who got in their way & showed no mercy to their enemies. In the episode that was being broadcast Hariko-Chan was in Sioux City hunting down a gang member named Kenichi Damozatu who had been a part of the group responsible for the murder of Hariko-Chan's parents.

"When I find that bastard Kenichi I'm going to cut him open & make him eat his bowels. Soon ma & pa will be avenged" said Hariko-Chan as he walked around looking for Kenichi. Scrap soon entered the living room & sat next to James.

"What show is this?" asked Scrap with confusion in his voice.

"It's called Hariko-Chan: Samurai in America. No other anime show is as awesome as this" said James as he smiled enthusiastically.

"I've never even heard of it. I'm not much of an anime fan" said Scrap.

"Trust me you'll love it. The action's only just getting started" said James as the show continued. Hariko-Chan was confronted by many hostile forces that had been sent after him by the gang he was hunting down. Despite being on his own Hariko-Chan easily dispatched of his enemies cutting, hacking, slashing & slicing them to bits. Blood & gore appeared on screen as each member was mercilessly slaughtered. Son the hostile forces were reduced to nothing more than chunks of bone & flesh. The violent imagery made Scrap feel sick.

"Can we watch something else? This makes me feel sick" said Scrap as he gagged.

"Don't be a pussy. This is an awesome show" said James with a scoff.

"I'm changing the channel. If I watch this any longer I'm going to be sick" said Scrap as he reached for the remote. James snatched the remote away & glared angrily at Scrap.

"You're not changing the channel. If you even dare to change it or turn the TV off I'll gouge your f*cking eyes out, rip your dick off & cram them up your ass. Is that clear?" asked James in a sinister voice.

"Why are you getting so aggressive? There's no need to be so nasty. Don't make me call Mayabella & let her know what you're doing" said Scrap with a scowl of disgust.

"F*ck you asshole" said James as he punched Scrap in the face giving him a nosebleed. Scrap gasped in horror before bursting into tears & running off. James then turned back to his show showing no concern or remorse for what he did.

" _That retarded mutt better learn his place. He doesn't have control over anything I do or say. I'm not going to have any issues teaching him a lesson if he continues to misbehave"_ thought James as he continued watching his show. Scrap was in Mayabella's room crying & trying to stop his nosebleed. He couldn't believe what James had just done.

"I can't believe James just hit me. Mayabella's going to hear about this. There's no way I'm going to let James get away with that. I hope he enjoys his show while it lasts. If he hits me again I'll make him regret it" said Scrap as he used some tissues to wipe away the blood & tears. After a few minutes his nose stopped bleeding. He decided to stay in Mayabella's room so that he wouldn't have to deal with James. At Adventure Bay Elementary Mayabella was at her locker grabbing her stuff for 1ST period. She was once again unaware of what was happening at home.

" _I hope today goes by without anything bad happening. These last few days have been pretty rough for James, I & Scrap. So far this morning has gotten off to an OK start but that's what it was like the last few days. Literally anything can happen. All I can do is get on with my schoolwork & hope for the best"_ thought Mayabella as she grabbed her stuff from her locker. Angel, Elias & Kelly soon walked by.

"Hello Mayabella. How are you this morning?" asked Angel with a warm smile.

"I'm feeling OK. How are you 3 doing?" asked Mayabella.

"We feel great. There hasn't been any issues with James this morning has there?" asked Elias in a curious voice.

"No not that I know of. I can't say for sure whether or not anything will happen today but I'm hopeful everything will be fine" said Mayabella in an optimistic tone.

"We feel the same way. Don't forget we & everyone else are always here for you. We're all glad to help however we can" said Kelly as she smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks. I better get to class. See you later" said Mayabella as she headed to class. Angel, Elias & Kelly went to get what they needed for their 1ST lesson of the day. During the 1ST 2 periods Mayabella did her best to get her schoolwork done but she couldn't stop thinking about James. There was a strange feeling she had that something was wrong at home.

" _I have this horrible feeling that everything at home isn't going well. I'm not sure if I should listen to my gut instincts or if I'm just being paranoid. Maybe I should just focus on my schoolwork. The less I think about what might be happening at home the less nervous & stressed I'll feel"_ thought Mayabella as she got on with her schoolwork. Back at home James was still watching TV while Scrap was still in Mayabella's room. Other than the sound of the programming on TV everything was silent in the house. For some odd reason Scrap was curious about what James had in his room. He hadn't been in that room at all since James moved in & he was starting to wonder what it looked like now that James had moved in.

"I'm sure James won't mind if I have a look at what his room looks like. It's not like he'll even notice anyways. He's probably still too busy watching TV to pay any attention to what I'm doing" said Scrap as he left Mayabella's room & walked to the door to James' room. He could still hear the TV meaning James was likely in the lounge. After checking to make sure James couldn't see him Scrap jumped up & grabbed the door handle before pulling it down to open the door. Inside the room Scrap only saw a mattress with a blanket & pillow on it, a closet filled with all of James' clothes & other personal belongings.

"There's not much in here. I guess this room isn't really what I expected it to be" said Scrap as he suddenly detected a strange odor. He ended up finding the bag of Cocerojuana pills James had been hiding. Scrap was confused. He wasn't sure what they were.

"I've never seen anything like this before. I probably shouldn't ask James what it is. He'd likely get mad that I've been in here. Maybe if I hide these in Mayabella's room she can help figure out what they are" said Scrap as he left James' room carrying the bag of Cocerojuana in his mouth. He then scurried back into Mayabella's room where he hid the bag under her pillow. He then decided to have a bite to eat.

"I feel hungry. It's a good thing there's still food in my bowl. Snack time" said Scrap as he entered the kitchen & walked over to his food bowl. James was still watching TV not paying Scrap much attention at all. Scrap ate some of the food left in his bowl before returning to Mayabella's room. He was curious to find out what was in the bag he'd found in James' room.

" _I have no idea what those small things are but I doubt they're candy. Candy doesn't have such a strange odor. I can't even describe what the odor is. Once Mayabella gets home we can figure out this mystery"_ thought Scrap as he lay down for a nap. The day passed by rather quickly with Mayabella getting on with her school work & playing on the playground at recess. All the while she still couldn't help but think about James. At lunch she discussed her concerns with her friends.

"How has your day been Mayabella?" asked Ace as she tucked into her ravioli.

"It's been OK. All day I've been having this strange gut feeling that everything at home isn't what it should be. I don't know why I feel like that though" said Mayabella with a sad sigh.

"Has James shown any strange behavior today?" asked Carlos as he ate his fruit slices.

"I don't think so. He seemed normal this morning but then again that's how he felt the last couple of days before school. There's no way of knowing how he feels today" said Mayabella in an uncertain voice.

"Seeing as how he claims to have really bad insomnia maybe his behavior is being caused by the lack of sleep" said Danny as he drank his slushy.

"He did say he had a nightmare last night but he couldn't remember what it was about. Do you think maybe the nightmares he's been having are keeping him awake?" asked Mayabella in a curious tone.

"That's 1 possibility. I still find it odd that he claimed to see giant arachnids & rambled on about some Emperor guy who he said made public nudity legal. The connection between those & nightmares James has had is hard to figure out" said Elias as he finished off his chocolate mousse.

"I don't understand it either. Maybe he's in such a state of insomnia that his dreams are turning into hallucinations" said Mayabella.

"So far that's probably the most plausible theory any of us has come up with. Have you tried helping him sleep?" asked Katie.

"No not really. Maybe after school I can look for ways to help James get a better night's sleep" said Mayabella.

"1 suggestion could be setting a time for him to go to bed or at least making sure he takes it easy in the hours before bed. That way he'll feel more relaxed which will make it easier to fall asleep" said Kelly with a helpful smile.

"I suppose that might work. If it doesn't I'll try something else" said Mayabella.

"If you need advice we're always here to give you some. Never forget that" said Ryder in a reassuring tone.

"Thanks. I'll do anything I have to in order for James to get better" said Mayabella as she & the others sat & talked. The remainder of the school day came & went uneventfully with all the students getting on with their work. Once school let out for the day Mayabella headed home. She was completely unaware of the incident earlier that morning.

" _Maybe today I'll finally be able to take it easy knowing that everything seems to be fine. It'll be a relief to spend the afternoon not worrying about James. In a few minutes I'll find out whether or not I'm right"_ thought Mayabella as she continued walking home. Once she arrived she went inside & saw James still on the couch watching TV. Scrap wasn't with him.

"Hello James. Where's Scrap?" asked Mayabella.

"I don't know. I'd assume he's probably in your room" said James as he shrugged in uncertainty.

"OK. I better check on him" said Mayabella as she went to her room. Scrap woke up just as she found him on her bed.

"Were you having a nap Scrap?" asked Mayabella with a warm smile.

"Yes. How was school?" asked Scrap.

"It was good. Basically it was business as usual. Was everything OK while I was gone?" asked Mayabella with uncertainty in her voice.

"No. This morning James was watching a really gory cartoon & when I asked to change the channel he used obscene language & even punched me giving me a nosebleed. I also found a bag with something weird in it. It has an odor that I can't describe. Here it is" said Scrap as he showed Mayabella the bag of Cocerojuana. Mayabella looked at the pills not knowing what they were.

"Let me see what this is" said Mayabella as she opened the bag & smelled the inside of it. The odor the pills gave off was indescribable for her to determine. She then took a pill & chewed it before spitting it out. She knew it wasn't candy.

"I think we better talk to James about this" said Mayabella as she & Scrap left her room & entered the lounge. They turned the TV off which made James mad.

"What the f*ck are you doing? I'm trying to watch TV" said James in an angry manner.

"We need to talk James. Is it true that you hit Scrap when he wanted to change the channel this morning?" asked Mayabella with seriousness in his voice.

"I was watching my favourite show & he complained like a little kid about the blood & gore in it. He could've just left the lounge & done something else" said James as he scoffed in disgust.

"That doesn't excuse hitting him. Never do that again. Also what's this?" asked Mayabella as she held up the bag of Cocerojuana. James went wide eyed as his jaw dropped in shock.

"What the hell were you doing in my room?" asked James in an aggressive voice.

"I found them in there. You better start explaining yourself James" said Scrap with a growl.

"It's just candy. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" asked James.

"It's not candy. The scent & taste is nothing like what candy would smell or taste like. Stop lying to me James. If you don't tell me what this is I'm flushing it down the toilet" said Mayabella in a stern tone.

"If you must know that stuff is Cocerojuana. It's a pill based drug that mixes cocaine, heroin & marijuana together. I got hooked on it thanks to 1 of my friends back home who gets supplied by some local dealer. You better not get rid of it. Give it to me now" said James as he tried to grab the bag. Mayabella snatched it away.

"So that's why you've been acting strangely. Enough is enough James. Starting right now you're getting off this dangerous drug. I'm flushing it down the toilet" said Mayabella as she went to flush the Cocerojuana pills down the down.

"GIVE THEM BACK YOU F*CKING BITCH" yelled James as he tackled Mayabella to the ground. Mayabella screamed as James & she wrestled on the floor trying to gain possession of the Cocerojuana.

"GET OFF ME JAMES. I'M DOING THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD" yelled Mayabella as she tried to force James off her.

"IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME MY DRUGS I'LL KILL YOU. YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THEM YOU LITTLE C*NT" yelled James as he punched Mayabella in the face repeatedly & pulled her hair. Scrap came to Mayabella's defense & proceeded to bite & scratch James. James cried out in pain as he was bitten & scratched. Eventually the pain was too much for him to bear causing him to go limp from exhaustion. Mayabella managed to escape his grip & got to her feet with the bag of Cocerojuana still in her hand. She ran straight to the toilet where she flushed all the pills down before returning to James. With help from Scrap Mayabella dragged James to his bedroom. Upon getting him there Mayabella put James on his bed before leaving the room & locking the door to make sure James didn't get out.

"You'll be thanking me for this sooner or later James. Getting you off Cocerojuana will save your life" said Mayabella as she went to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror & saw that she had a few bruises & a nosebleed. Other than that she was fine. Mayabella cleaned the blood away before going into the kitchen & grabbing an ice pack for her face. She then sat on the couch to rest.

"I can't believe James has been hiding this from us all along. His parents are going to be horrified when they learn the truth as will everyone else" said Mayabella.

"I'll say. You're not hurt that badly are you?" asked Scrap with concern in his voice.

"I'm OK. Other than some bruises I feel fine. Thanks for helping to stop James" said Mayabella with a smile.

"You're welcome. Nobody hurts you & gets away with it" said Scrap as he snuggled up next to Mayabella. A short time later Mayabella made dinner for herself. She cooked some lamb & vegetables which were all juicy & succulent with a variety of flavour. After she finished eating she rinsed her dishware & put it in the dishwasher. Even though it was still somewhat early in the evening Mayabella decided to go to bed hoping it'd speed up the healing on her face.

"I'm going to bed early. Goodnight Scrap" said Mayabella as she went to have a bath.

"Goodnight. Sleep well" said Scrap as he went into the lounge to watch TV. After bathing Mayabella got into her pajamas & hopped into bed hoping that everything would get better. In James' room James was laying awake angry & bitter that Mayabella had disposed of his Cocerojuana. He secretly plotted to escape the next day after she left for school to look for anyone in town that sold Cocerojuana.

" _That bitch has some nerve flushing my drugs down the toilet. If she thinks I'm going to go cold turkey she's dead wrong. Tomorrow I'll go out & find more. She can't make me quit. I will get more Cocerojuana 1 way or another. Nobody will stop me. I'd rather die than live without Cocerojuana. Nobody else would understand. I don't care if the truth gets out to everyone else. They're not going to ruin my life by taking away the 1 thing I desperately need. I'm going to get another stash whether they like it or not"_ thought James as he went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: James' Fatal Habit

James woke up on Friday morning feeling lethargic from the withdrawal of Cocerojuana. He was still angry that Mayabella had flushed his stash down the toilet.

" _Mayabella's such a bitch. I can't believe she got rid of my Cocerojuana. Once she leaves for school I'm sneaking out & looking for more. Nothing will keep me separated from the thing I need most"_ thought James as he lay on his mattress. Mayabella woke up soon after & got dressed before going into the kitchen to make breakfast. After filling Scrap's food & water bowls she went to make some pancakes. The inviting aroma they gave off while cooking in the pan made her hungry.

"I bet these pancakes will taste delicious. Topping them off with honey or syrup will make them taste even better. A delightful meal is almost ready" said Mayabella as she finished cooking. Once the pancakes were done She served herself some & drizzled honey on them before tucking in. The pancakes were light & fluffy with the honey giving it a sweet taste. Mayabella happily ate breakfast before rinsing off her dirty dishes & putting them in the dishwasher. Scrap then entered the kitchen.

"Good morning Scrap. Did you sleep well last night?" asked Mayabella with a warm smile.

"I sure did" said Scrap.

"Excellent. I also slept well. How do you think James is holding up?" asked Mayabella in a curious voice.

"I don't know. I hope he's not still mad about what happened yesterday" said Scrap in an uncertain tone.

"He probably is. While I'm at school make sure he doesn't do anything crazy. I don't want him to get hurt" said Mayabella.

"Don't worry he'll be fine. Does he need to stay in his room?" asked Scrap.

"Yes. If he leaves his room he'll sneak out. I'm going to send him breakfast right now. Hopefully he'll be feeling a bit better after he's eaten" said Mayabella as she took a plate of pancakes to James' room. When she opened the door she made sure not to open it too far in order to keep James inside.

"I made you breakfast James. I hope you like it" said Mayabella as she placed the plate on the ground near the door.

"If it was Cocerojuana I'd like it a lot better" said James with a scoff.

"Don't start James. I'm doing this for your own good. That stuff is bad for you" said Mayabella in a stern manner.

"You don't understand. I need it. You wouldn't know how it feels since you don't take Cocerojuana yourself" said James as he scowled in disgust.

"I'd never take something that'd cause negative effects on my health. Anyways I'm heading to school now. If you need anything knock on the door so that Scrap can help" said Mayabella as she closed the door & locked it to make sure James didn't sneak out.

"Whatever. Just go to school" said James as he grabbed the pancakes & started eating.

"I'll see you later. Hopefully you'll be feeling better when I get home. Bye James" said Mayabella as she grabbed her schoolbag & headed out the front door to head to school. James ate his pancakes before waiting a few minutes to make sure Mayabella was gone. Once he decided she was he opened his bedroom window & used the knife on his plate to cut through the fly screen. After cutting a hole in it he climbed out of the room & scaled the fence before going to find more Cocerojuana.

"That was easy. The best part is that Mayabella & Scrap have no idea that I'm out. Let's see where I can find more Cocerojuana" said James as he headed into town to find another stash. At Adventure Bay Elementary Mayabella was grabbing what she needed from her locker. She was completely unaware that James had escaped. Just as she finished getting what she needed Angel, Elias & Kelly walked by.

"Good morning Mayabella. How are you this morning?" asked Angel with politeness in her voice.

"I feel OK. I finally found out the cause of James' odd behavior" said Mayabella.

"What is it?" asked Elias in a curious voice.

"It turns out James has been addicted to a drug called Cocerojuana. Apparently that's why he's been behaving so strangely" said Mayabella as she sighed. Angel, Elias & Kelly gasped in shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"That's not good. From what I've heard Cocerojuana mixes the effects of cocaine, heroin & marijuana all in 1. That's a dangerously toxic mix" said Kelly in a shocked tone.

"It sure is. I got rid of the stash he had so that I could help him get back on the right track" said Mayabella.

"I'm glad to see that you're trying to help. Soon enough James will be back to normal & won't be so dependent on Cocerojuana" said Angel as she smiled hopefully.

"It'd be a shame to see something bad happen to him. It's not going to be easy but as long as you stay strong & support him through the process he'll make it to the other side clean & sober" said Elias in a confident manner.

"Indeed. Anyways we better get to class. See you later Mayabella" said Kelly as she smiled & waved before Angel, Elias & herself headed to class.

"Enjoy 1ST period" said Mayabella as she headed to class oblivious to James' escape. Back at home Scrap had gotten comfortable on the lounge room sofa & was flicking through the channels looking for something good to watch.

"I'm glad that today I'm not going to be forced into watching some gory violent cartoon. There are much better shows on TV to watch. Let's see what's on" said Scrap as he flicked through the channels. Soon he came across an episode of The Adventures of Jordan Travis.

"Ooh this is a great show. Let's see what's happening" said Scrap as he got comfortable. The episode focused on Jordan Travis finding a wallet with a large amount of cash in it & his attempts to locate the owner. After spending the whole episode searching through town the owner was revealed to be an elderly woman named Mona who had dropped the wallet while walking in the park. The end of the episode showed Jordan & Mona buying ice cream together.

"This is a really good show. It teaches great lessons to kids. Anyways I better go check on James & make sure he's OK" said Scrap as he headed to James' room. After reaching the door he knocked.

"Are you OK in there James?" asked Scrap with curiosity in his voice. There was no response. Scrap knocked & called out to James again but there was still no answer.

"Maybe James is asleep. Seeing as he's being forced to go cold turkey I'd imagine the withdrawal has made him feel extremely tired. I'll come back & check on him a bit later when he's awake" said Scrap as he returned to the lounge not knowing James was gone. In town James walked around trying to think of a place where Cocerojuana would be sold. He knew that the main area of town would likely be Cocerojuana free as would the residential area.

"Surely there's somewhere in Adventure Bay I can go that'd have people selling Cocerojuana. Obviously it'd be out of sight of the rest of town. Wherever it is I'll find it & get another stash. If Mayabella thinks she's going to control me she's wrong" said James as he continued walking around. After checking almost everywhere else in town & finding nothing he came across a part of town that had mostly abandoned & rundown buildings covered in graffiti & damage.

"I bet I'll have some luck here. Soon I'll have more Cocerojuana in my possession" said James as he began looking around for more pills. The morning passed by mostly without incident. Neither Mayabella nor Scrap knew about James' location. At recess Mayabella played on the merry go round. As she spun around she thought about what she believed James was doing.

" _I wouldn't be surprised if James was feeling tired. Seeing as he's going through withdrawal I bet he's sleeping or at the very least lying down. I'm not too worried though. Scrap can be of assistance to James when needed. Hopefully in a few days James will be feeling a lot better"_ thought Mayabella as she continued playing. At home Scrap was still watching TV flicking through the channels. He felt glad about having very little to do.

"It's nice to just sit back & relax. Nothing beats getting cosy on the couch & watching a good movie or TV show. I think I should check on James again. Surely he's awake by now" said Scrap as he went to check on James again. To his surprise there was still no response.

"James must be feeling really tired. Perhaps last night he didn't get much sleep. Maybe I should let him rest. He's going to need it" said Scrap as he headed back to the lounge still unaware of James' escape. In the rundown part of town James looked around hoping to find Cocerojuana. Most of the people he saw were very seedy looking as they were drunk, high or mentally unstable. Only a few people appeared to have their wits about them but even then it didn't make James' quest easier.

"I'm starting to get really desperate. Surely I'll strike gold around here. I'm not going back home without a stash of Cocerojuana. I'd rather die than live without it" said James as he continued looking around. A few minutes later James saw a man in his 20's who wore a hooded jumper, sweatpants & sneakers holding what looked like a bag of Cocerojuana pills. He walked over to the man to inquire about it.

"Excuse me is that Cocerojuana in the bag?" asked James in a curious voice.

"It sure is. If you want it the price is $100" said the older man.

"Crap I don't have any money. Do you accept any other payment?" asked James.

"No. Either you pay in cash or you get nothing" said the older man as he shook his head.

"Looks like I'll have to find some cash" said James as he walked off. Secretly he was planning to steal the Cocerojuana from the older man but he knew it'd be dangerous without a weapon. He scanned the area looking for something to use as a weapon. Eventually James spotted a loose brick which he grabbed.

"If I drop this on the guy's head I'll be able to take the stash for myself. Let's see if I can get on the rooftops" said James as he went through the alleyways looking for ladders or stairs up to the rooftop. Once he found a ladder he climbed up to the rooftops & leaped over to where the Cocerojuana dealer was. After positioning himself above the dealer he held the brick above him before letting it drop. The brick struck the dealer in the head with such great force that it knocked him unconscious almost instantly.

"Perfect. Now to claim my prize" said James as he jumped down & grabbed the bag of Cocerojuana before running off. He went to hide in an abandoned building so that it'd be harder for anyone to find him.

"There's no way anyone will find me in here. 1ST I need to make sure there's nobody else inside. If there is they'll probably try to take the pills for themselves" said James as he entered the abandoned building. The next few hours passed by with nobody suspecting anything unusual. Mayabella got on with her schoolwork still in the dark about James. At lunch she discussed the truth about James' behavior with her friends.

"Hey Mayabella is it true that James is addicted to Cocerojuana?" asked Ace as she tucked into her satay noodles.

"Yes. When I found out about it yesterday he got violent with me. I flushed his stash down the toilet so that I could make sure he gets sobered up" said Mayabella with a sad sigh.

"I'm shocked. Cocerojuana's 1 of the most dangerous illegal drugs out there" said Carlos with concern in his voice.

"At least James can't take it anymore. I dread to think what'd happen if he continued taking it" said Mayabella as she gobbled down her vegetable chips.

"Do you think it'd be daring to take Cocerojuana? I'd imagine it gives people quite a rush" said Danny.

"I wouldn't recommend trying it. You'd end up doing serious damage to your health" said Mayabella in a shocked voice.

"She's right. I don't think it's worth the long term effects it'd have on your health" said Elias as he gulped down his fruit juice.

"It's not. I hope Scrap's keeping a good eye on James. What do you think they're up to right now?" asked Mayabella in an uncertain tone.

"Just as long as it isn't anything crazy, dangerous or stupid I wouldn't be too worried" said Katie as she finished off her frozen yogurt.

"I guess you're right. James is probably asleep. Withdrawal makes people feel extremely lethargic & tired" said Mayabella.

"True. I'm sure with time James' health will improve. Don't forget we're always here for you when you need us" said Kelly in a reassuring manner.

"Thanks. The road to sobriety won't be an easy 1. I have to be strong not only for James but for myself as well. There's no way I'm giving up on him" said Mayabella with confidence in her voice.

"That's good to hear. With the right attitude you'll be able to handle James' recovery well. We all believe in you Mayabella" said Ryder with a smile of reassurance.

"Thanks guys. You're the best" said Mayabella as she & her friends continued eating lunch. The remainder of the school day came & went as it normally would. Once school let out for the day Mayabella headed straight home. She hoped to see James feeling better.

" _Hopefully by now James has gotten enough rest to get past his lethargy from withdrawal. Easily today will be 1 of the hardest moments on the road to recovery. Now that school is out until Monday I'll be able to keep a closer eye on him"_ thought Mayabella as she walked home. As soon as she arrived she found Scrap watching TV in the lounge.

"Hi Scrap" said Mayabella as she smiled warmly.

"How was school today?" asked Scrap in a curious voice.

"It's been the same as always. Have you been checking on James?" asked Mayabella.

"Yes. Every time I went to check on him there was no reply. I'd assume he's been asleep from the lethargy brought on by his Cocerojuana withdrawal" said Scrap.

"I think we better check on him again" said Mayabella as she & Scrap went to James' room. Mayabella knocked on the door before calling to James.

"James I'm back from school. Is everything OK in there?" asked Mayabella.

There was no answer. Mayabella unlocked the door & opened it hoping to see James asleep. Both she & Scrap gasped in horror upon seeing that James' room was empty & that the window was open with the fly screen cut through.

"JAMES. WHERE'D HE GO?" cried Mayabella in a panicked tone.

"I don't know. I swear I didn't even know he was gone. I never let him out of his room. He must've escaped sometime after you left for school" said Scrap as he gulped nervously.

"We need to find him. I better get Ryder & the PAW Patrol to help" said Mayabella as she grabbed her phone & called for Ryder. Ryder was at the Lookout with Angel, Elias, Kelly & the pups when the call came in.

"Hello Ryder here" said Ryder with a professional smile.

"Ryder I have a huge emergency on my hands. James broke out & I've got no idea where he went. I need you & the pups to help find him & make sure he's OK" said Mayabella in a shaky manner.

"Don't worry we're on our way. No job is too big & no pup is too small" said Ryder as he used his Pup Pad to summon the pups.

"PAW Patrol to the Lookout" said Ryder.

"Ryder needs us" said the pups as they ran for the elevator. Marshall ended up tripping on a bottle of pup medicine causing a pileup in the elevator.

"Sorry. I must be feeling unwell" said Marshall with a sheepish smile. Everyone laughed as the elevator rose to the observatory with the pups putting their pup packs & uniforms on halfway up. Upon reaching the observatory they lined up in front of Ryder with Angel next to Marshall to await instruction. Elias & Kelly both stood beside Ryder.

"PAW Patrol ready for action Ryder sir" said Chase with authority in his voice.

"Thanks for coming pups. James escaped from Mayabella's house earlier today & nobody knows where he went. We must find him & make sure he's OK" said Ryder as he clicked Angel's icon.

"Angel I need you to drive around & keep an eye out for James" said Ryder.

"I'm ready to protect & serve" said Angel in a confident voice. Ryder then clicked Chase's icon.

"Chase I need you to use your spy gear to help locate James" said Ryder.

"Spy Chase is on the case" said Chase as he stepped forward. Ryder then clicked Marshall's icon.

"Marshall I need you to standby with your medical gear in case James is hurt" said Ryder.

"I'm fired up" said Marshall in an enthusiastic tone. Ryder then clicked Skye's icon.

"Skye I need you to keep an eye on things from above so that it'll make the search for James a lot easier" said Ryder.

"Let's take to the sky" said Skye as she did a back flip.

"Elias & Kelly I need you 2 to help. The more of us that look for James the better" said Ryder.

"You can count on us Ryder" said Elias with a smile.

"We're ready to help" said Kelly in a reassuring manner.

"Alright PAW Patrol is on a roll" said Ryder as he pumped his fist in the air before running to the fireman pole & sliding down to his ATV. Angel, Chase, Marshall & lastly Skye deployed in their vehicles with Elias getting a ride with Angel & Kelly getting a ride with Chase. All of them then headed out with Skye flying over Adventure Bay trying to spot James from above while everyone else headed to Mayabella's house. Mayabella & Scrap were out the front waiting for them.

"I'm glad you're here. I bet James went to find more Cocerojuana. We need to stop him before it's too late" said Mayabella with concern in her voice.

"We'll find him. Activate your drone Chase" said Ryder.

"Ruff drone" sad Chase as his spy drone deployed. He then began flying it around in the hopes of spotting James. Angel headed off to look around while Elias, Kelly, Marshall & Ryder remained with Mayabella & Scrap.

"I have a bad feeling about this. James doesn't know what he's getting himself into. Unless we find him soon he'll be in grave danger" said Scrap as he gulped.

"It's more than likely he's gone to a place in town most other people usually never go. That'd be the most likely place he'd find Cocerojuana" said Elias.

"True. I doubt anyone else would sell it in Adventure Bay" said Kelly as the search continued. Back at the abandoned building James was feeling panicked. He kept hearing various sounds that he believed were from other people in the building. In truth the sounds were nothing more than rats scurrying, the infrastructure creaking & the wind causing the doors to shake. After spending a few hours frantically searching for other people James decided he couldn't bear to remain in the building any longer.

"This place is freaking me out. I'm getting out of here" said James as he ran outside. Just as he did so the dealer he'd stolen the Cocerojuana from walked towards him.

"HEY GIVE ME MY STASH BACK YOU LITTLE THIEF" said the dealer as he drew a gun.

"NO WAY. YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME IF YOU WANT IT BACK" yelled James as he ran off. The dealer gave chase trying to shoot James but every shot he fired missed. James did everything he could to escape including running around erratically, climbing up & jumping off buildings, ducking through alleyways & hiding. As the chase went on Skye soon flew over the area & saw the commotion unfold. Once she spotted James she called Ryder.

"Ryder I found James. He's in the seedy part of town being chased by a man with a gun. Please hurry" said Skye in a scared voice.

"We're on our way. Let's go guys" said Ryder as he & the others rushed to the seedy part of town. They were all anxious about James' situation.

"I hope we make it in time. The last thing I want to see is James getting hurt" said Mayabella as she shook nervously.

"I feel the same way. The sooner we get to him the better. He'll be safe once we get him out of there" said Scrap as everyone continued towards the seedy part of town. James was still trying everything he could to escape but the dealer wasn't letting him go that easily. Gunshots continued to ring out as James continued running. The dealer soon ran out of bullets meaning he could no longer shoot at James. A short time later James tripped & fell. Before he could get up & continue running the dealer tacked him & tried to wrestle the Cocerojuana out of James' hands.

"GET OFF ME. YOU'RE NOT HAVING YOUR STASH BACK" yelled James as he tried to throw the dealer off him.

"I'LL KILL YOU. PREPARE TO DIE MOTHERF*CKER" yelled the dealer as he smacked James in the head with his gun. The PAW Patrol & their friends soon arrived at the scene & were horrified to see the altercation unfolding before their eyes.

"SOMEONE PLEASE DO SOMETHING" cried Mayabella in panic.

"I'll handle this. Ruff taser" aid Angel as she retrieved her taser from her pup pack. She then fired it at the dealer. The shot struck the dealer causing him to cry out in pain as he writhed around from the electric shock. Moments later he was left limp on the ground. Everyone then ran over to make sure that James was OK. He had his back to them which they found odd.

"Are you OK James?" asked Ryder in an uncertain tone. James looked behind him & saw everyone approach. He swiftly turned to face them while holding his hands behind his back.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me" said James with a fake smile.

"What are you hiding behind your back James? It better not be more Cocerojuana pills" said Mayabella in a stern manner.

"I swear I have nothing. Don't you trust me?" asked James.

"Show us your hands right now. Don't make this harder than it has to be" said Mayabella with frustration in her voice.

"You're being paranoid. I don't have anything" said James as he laughed nervously. Mayabella scowled & walked over to James & grabbed his arms so that she could see what he was hiding behind his back. When she pulled his arms from behind his back she saw an empty bag in his hands.

"See I told you there was nothing there" said James as he rolled his eyes.

"James you better hand over the pills this instant. This isn't a joke. Cut it out" said Mayabella with an angry growl. James didn't respond. He just stared into space with a blank expression on his face. Suddenly he went limp & fell to the ground upon which he began violently convulsing & frothing at the mouth. Everyone watched in horror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head as his skin began to go blue.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HIM?" cried Mayabella in a horrified voice.

"I think he's having an overdose. We need to get him to the hospital now" said Marshall as everyone picked James up & put him in the back of Marshall's ambulance. They then raced to the hospital as fast as they could. Mayabella was scared. She didn't know whether James would survive or not.

" _This is horrible. I never would've expected this to ever happen. I don't want James to die. Why did he consume the entire bag of Cocerojuana he had? This isn't what any of us wanted. Hang in there James. We'll make sure you survive"_ thought Mayabella as she watched over James. He was unresponsive & still frothing at the mouth. As soon as everyone arrived at the hospital they took James straight to the emergency department. When the nurse at the front desk saw James get carried in she knew something was wrong.

"Please help us. My cousin overdosed on Cocerojuana. He needs urgent medical attention" said Mayabella in a shaky tone.

"I'm on it. We need to get this boy treated now. He's overdosed on drugs" said the nurse as more medical staff came over. They put James on a gurney & wheeled him away to perform treatment. Everyone else sat in the foyer to wait. None of them knew whether James would survive or not.

"This is scary. Prior to now I never would've expected to witness someone overdose. I hope James will be OK" said Elias in a nervous manner.

"So do I. Right now I actually feel kind of sick to my stomach. I wish this was a dream" said Kelly as she shook in fear.

"If only we'd learned the truth sooner. That way we would've been able to act before something like this could've happened" said Mayabella with guilt in her voice.

"Let's not get worked up so quickly. James can still make it. We just need to have faith in him" said Scrap as everyone continued to wait. As time ticked by they became increasingly more anxious to hear about James' state of health. After 30 minutes a nurse emerged & walked over.

"Is my cousin going to be OK?" asked Mayabella as she began to tear up.

"I'm very sorry. We tried everything to revive him but nothing worked. There was too much Cocerojuana in his system. As much as I don't like to say this I'm afraid your cousin has died from the overdose" said the nurse in a sad voice. Everyone gasped in horror. They were all deeply shocked that James had died. Mayabella collapsed to the floor & burst into tears while screaming hysterically.

"NO JAMES. WHY? DON'T LEAVE ME. I LOVE YOU JAMES. I'M SORRY FOR NOT SAVING YOU. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT" cried Mayabella as tears ran down her face. Everyone else began to cry as they tried to comfort Mayabella. The news of James' death had broken all their hearts.

"Are we able to see him?" asked Ryder through his tears.

"I don't think now is the right time. I wouldn't want to make you any more upset by letting you see him in such a bad way. He'll be transferred to the morgue once everything has been cleared up here. I suggest you all go home & get some rest. You'll all need it" said the nurse in a sympathetic tone.

"Good idea. Let's go. I think getting some sleep will do us all some good" said Chase as he & the others left the hospital & headed home. As soon as Mayabella & Scrap returned home they went straight to Mayabella's room. Mayabella collapsed on her bed still in tears. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to go on knowing that James was dead.

"This is awful. How can I live with myself knowing that James is gone for good? I can't imagine life like that. The rest of my family is going to be devastated when they learn the news" said Mayabella in a depressed manner.

"I'm really sorry Mayabella. I didn't want this to happen either. I'll always be here for you" said Scrap as he snuggled up with Mayabella. Both of them continued to cry as they lay on Mayabella's bed feeling sad about what had happened. Eventually they both fell asleep. Everyone else who saw what happened also fell asleep feeling sad & with tears staining their faces. James' death had greatly upset them all & they knew it'd stay with them for the rest of their lives.

 **THE END**


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